


Roses And Thorny

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-04
Updated: 2006-03-03
Packaged: 2018-08-15 23:18:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8076763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Tucker/f. (12/29/2004)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: This story takes place about 3 weeks after 'Noblesse Oblige'. Tia has been on the Enterprise for over three months. You should read 'Small Time' and 'Daasii' for background.  


* * *

The Enterprise had been in orbit about the green planet of Elanis Four for nearly an hour, long enough to thoroughly determine that the atmosphere was breathable, if a bit higher in oxygen content than the crew had grown used to; had a gravity some 92% that of Earth normal; was quite uninhabited by sentient species—at least so far as the sensors could determine. After these and many other detailed scans, they had learned a very great deal. In fact, had learned everything they could from orbit, and it was time to send a survey team down for a closer exploration.

Normally the Captain would consider this a suitable opportunity for some 'R&R exploration', but he had a particular reason for not opening this green planet up for shore leave just yet.

T'Pol had been filling his ears for quite some time about protocols that should be established before opening a planet to 'general tourism'. Much as he was inclined to move ahead without restraint, he had done so before to their regret. Besides, if he was going to have a Science Officer, he owed it to her to regard her advice.

"Hoshi, have Ensign Cutler and Crewwoman Anlor report to the landing bay with full survey gear." Hoshi could not completely hide her look of pleased surprise, wasting no time in alerting her two friends in Exobiology to prepare for their planetside duties. 'Crewwoman' he had said. Hoshi felt a sense of pride; and a feeling that it was about time.

She did not need the Captain to tell her that this was even more particularly significant. After over three months of shipboard duty, he wanted to see how their newest crewmember did off-ship, under Cutler's direction. Her progress thus far had been quite satisfactory, but he wanted to see how she performed in the field.

* * *

In the Landing Bay, the Survey Team was assembling for their duties. Elizabeth Cutler was the first to arrive, setting her gear down next to the pod. It was to be just a team of three; Elizabeth and Tia to do the survey, Travis Mayweather to provide transportation. "Should be an easy run." Liz commented as she handed Travis one of the instruments.

"Well, I can't say that I'm sorry to get off the ship for a few hours." Liz privately thought he also did not mind spending most of the afternoon in close quarters with two attractive young women, but would not embarrass him by saying so aloud. Then, whatever she would have said instead was lost in the arrival of their crewmate.

Tia Anlor did not quite skip into the room, but even her normal manner was just very slightly more restrained than that of a wide-eyed child on Christmas; and now she was clearly excited to be getting off the ship. "Galyas! I mean, 'hello!'" She exclaimed, greeting each of them enthusiastically.

She was wearing a Starfleet uniform, one assigned to her some time ago prior to her first landing party mission on the planet Beta Aragon 3. Though not a member of Starfleet, it was Captain Archer's policy that all who went down to a planet present a united front, hence the uniform sans any rank insignia.

It was useful should they become separated on a populated planet to be identified as being with Starfleet, or at least the Enterprise. But there would be little need, Travis felt, for concern on this mission, the floral & fauna survey of an uninhabited planet. Flowers and animals did not care who you were aligned with, so long as you left them alone.

But then again, they had visited several 'uninhabited' planets which had been anything but. He hoped Tia had been thoroughly briefed as to what to expect—though 'expect the unexpected' was hardly helpful and did just about cover their normal lives.

Travis was a little apprehensive about this gathering, though more for the company than the planet, whatever its possible risks. It had been seven weeks since the incident in the galley during which he had discovered the theretofore unknown Auran custom of Daasii, and though they had sort of cleared the air, he was still a little skittish around her. Her bright enthusiasm not withstanding, there were so many things that he did not know about her culture, and the first experience he had had with it was memorable to say the least. He had consulted frequently with Hoshi for her insights, but still..."Well, ladies, if you'd like to stow your gear, we'll be off."

* * *

Travis had just cast off from the ship, and was concentrating on piloting the shuttle on an approach to the planet when he noticed something quite pleasant. "That's a lovely perfume one of you has on." He commented, glancing back at the two women.

"Not me." Cutler admitted. "Tia." The young Auran looked at her in surprise.

"Perfume?"

"The roses."

"Roses? What roses are?"

"That scent. Roses are flowers."

"I had noticed it not." She admitted. But then she realized what had happened, what her inattention had allowed to happen. She remembered roses; there had been some in the Arboretum, and she had carefully refrained from commenting, when she first smelled them, upon their familiar scent.

Now that memory of roses came back to haunt her with a brutal vengeance. Had she been so careless, so inattentive of time in the concerns of day to day living and a journey of discovery, that she could forget herself?

"It's nice. A gift from Trip Tucker?"

"Oh yes." She whispered, barely having paid enough attention to hear and respond. She was monumentally distressed. "A gift it is."

* * *

Liz wondered why she sounded so...perturbed, but if something personal was happening this was not the place to discuss it. Besides, there was much work to do.

Tia could smell the scent now, was astonished that she had missed it earlier. She put it down to the excitement of getting off the ship again, especially when she would be proving herself as a valuable member of the crew, justifying to them all the faith they had put in her. She had looked forward to this opportunity for weeks, had thought of nothing else all night.

Now she just wanted to get back to Enterprise as quickly as she could! "Elizabeth?"

"Hmm?" She forced herself to look at the woman beside her.

"I...I..." She had to get back to the ship! But how to tell Liz that?

"What's wrong?" Tia stared at her, unable to answer. Then she looked forward at Travis, busy piloting the shuttle, which was even now entering the upper atmosphere of the planet. She turned back to Liz.

"No—no thing." She whispered. "No thing wrong is."

Liz smiled. "Tia, I would play poker with you any day of the week! Now, what's wrong?" Tia turned away, shaking her head.

"No thing." She whispered. How could she say anything with Travis right in the shuttle, not two meters away?!

Liz considered for a moment; then gave it up.

* * *

Travis Mayweather listened with a little less than half an ear to the brief, whispered exchanges behind him. The descent was not unusual, but he never let his attention wander, even if the conversation might be a bit interesting. But he could not hear enough, and did not divert his attention. After a few moments, however, he found himself getting somewhat distracted, and not by the conversation.

The scent of roses had, over the few minutes since he'd first noticed it, become more prevalent. Far from unpleasant, it had a very pleasing fragrance. It reminded him, in fact, of Jennifer Farber, and of that night in the Arboretum. In fact, the fragrance was very reminiscent of the one she had worn. Or was it the flowers themselves? In fact, it had not mattered. What had mattered was...He pushed the particularly pleasant memory aside. Jennifer was not there, and it did no good to think of her. There were two lovely women with him at the moment, that was true, but neither of them were Jennifer. Still...

He applied himself more to the descent, not willing to let his attention slip. But once stirred; the memory of that night, and others, with the lovely woman from Sensors...He found himself glancing over his shoulder, his eyes falling on Liz Cutler. He knew her well, had 'noticed' her many times in fact, but now he particularly noticed her legs, even in her uniform pants, as they were stretched out before her, and his eye stroked up to the swell of her...

He wrenched his attention sharply back to the view of the approaching planet out the forward viewport, of the ever changing displays on the instruments before him. He had to adjust his position in the seat; his uniform suddenly didn't feel like it fit quite right. He had to admit he was feeling...rather...a bit...tense.

* * *

Travis also had to admit he was starting to get more than a little annoyed. Never had he allowed his attention to waver when piloting either a starship or a shuttle; he prided himself on this. But when he found himself again sneaking a glance back at the oh-so-very attractive exo-biologist, noticing the way her blue uniform molded itself to her...He clenched his fist in aggravation. He felt like an adolescent who couldn't control his hormones, but his mind kept going back to Liz Cutler, his memories of her and what glimpses of the present he could snatch, and it became more and more uncomfortable to sit still in the pilot seat.

Finally, after an eternity, he brought the ship from horizontal flight and fired the lower jets for the last time, gradually easing off on the pressure and the ship settled down upon the untended glade at the edge of a forest. Switching off the various systems, he was peripherally aware of the movements of his two passengers behind him as they gathered their equipment. The ship's sensors were performing an analysis of the planet, and as soon as it was reasonably safe to open the hatch he would do so. In the meantime, now that he was not concentrating on flying, he found his attention being diverted, more and more against his will, to other 'concerns'. He couldn't understand why he could not get the woman off his mind, nor endure the sensations that accompanied the unwelcome thoughts. "Travis, could you give me a hand?" Liz Cutler's voice came from his right. He turned in the seat, and from where he sat he found his eyes locked about 5 inches from the very attractive swell of her breasts.

"—"

"Travis? Is anything wrong?"

"—!"

He could not look away from the delightful curves of her bosom, the way the material of her uniform hugged itself to her, outlining every inch. He could distinctly see the small swell of her left nipple pressed against the uniform.

"Hey, Trav." (—! —!) "Up here." His eyes followed the dual snaps of her fingers to find those fingers just at the level of her own eyes. He backed away sharply, mortified.

"Hey, I'm sorry! I just—."

"Could you just open the hatch?" Humiliated, he turned and pressed the control a bit harder than necessary, and with a sigh the portal opened. He turned back as she turned away in silent but explicit annoyance, but then saw Tia staring at him. She did not appear annoyed, however. She looked, in fact, even more mortified than he felt.


	2. Chapter 2

When the two young women had left, Travis Mayweather stayed at the helm of the closed shuttle, totally humiliated and angry with himself. Despite his intentions, he had embarrassed himself with Liz Cutler; felt like a complete fool; and to add to his aggravation the sensations he was feeling, which had led to this major embarrassment, were not alleviated in the slightest.

He didn't make a move to leave the ship, knowing the pair could perform their duties just fine without him, and the longer he could prevent himself from looking at either of them, the better chance he had of regaining his control. So he sat there, going over instrument displays, noticing again and again that seductive, that distracting scent of roses that had made him think so strongly of Jennifer and had gotten him so busted!

But the longer he sat, with the door firmly shut so he could not see them, the more uncomfortable he became. Despite himself, he could not stop thinking about her, and how she looked when she...But then, to get his mind off her, he tried to think of something else—anything else, and in the next moment all he could think of again was Liz Cutler, and the way her breasts pressed against her uniform top. He wondered what those breasts...

And then his mind drifted to Hoshi, as he had always seen her just out of the corner of his eye as they served together on the bridge and how he secretly stared at her and sometimes ached to...

When he wrenched his mind off Hoshi and it went to T'Pol and that how that damned painted-on Vulcan uniform clung to...

Hitting the door control, he wrenched himself up from his seat with a blistering oath, turned and stalked out of the shuttle into the fresh air.

Liz Cutler, about two meters away, her back to him, was bent low over a sample container, legs slightly spread, her blue uniform pants stretched very tightly over her -. Travis clenched his fists and choked back a strangled scream!

* * *

Tia Anlor, a few meters away, had seen Travis come out of the ship, saw his reaction to Liz Cutler, and felt ashamed.

She wanted to go to him, or to Liz, and get this corrected somehow, but could not dare. In fact, the further away she stayed; the better. That is, unless he went back into the ship.

When he turned sharply from the vision before him and reentered the small shuttle, closing the door, she knew it was too late. "Elizabeth?" Liz looked up, straightening. "Kisnan...um, speak to you may I?"

* * *

"Oh, Hell! You're kidding me!"

"I 'kidding' am not. Know you the Dasreer do."

She remembered that chaotic Auran distress all too well. "We thought it was going to kill you."

"No, only wish it sometimes do I. The end of my glisnic...'biological' cycle is it. This, today, the peak of my cycle is. I fertile am, today alone. If lialu with a...if...if in me he logler place, refnali would I become."

"All right, all right, you don't have to spell it out! I get it."

"So now Travis Mayweather does."

Something in those words sent a chill through Liz Cutler's body. "What do you mean?"

"The scent you called 'roses'? She nodded. "Pheromone it is. Should on humans work not, but...On Enterprise happen it did not; once only in eighteen of your weeks. Forgot I the dates did; lost track. Your hours are twenty four in a day; mine on Aura twenty seven and one fifth of yours. Last time, I on Aura was. In my rooms I locked myself. This time...this time by surprise it caught me. Should on humans work not, Auran you are not, he is not."

"But the shuttle..."

"Concentrate the effect it does. Should be noticed not, but he avoid it can nyasi. Too powerful to ignore." Liz looked back at the closed shuttle.

"He's got to get out of there."

"And I go in can not."

Liz nodded. "Stay here. In fact," she pointed to a spot at the far end of the clearing, "stay there! Downwind!"

* * *

Travis Mayweather paced the length of the shuttle over and over in black abstraction, feeling tenser by the moment. Activity would not help, concentrating on work would not help; nothing would help! He thought if his hair were a bit longer he would be able to rip it out of his scalp, but neither did that offer any solution. He didn't know what was happening, didn't know how to deal with it, but he knew that he was very rapidly going out of his mind!

He felt like an adolescent; like he couldn't trust himself not to embarrass himself. He was so...He couldn't even get his blasted mind off thinking about Jennifer—or Hoshi—or Lisa—or Ann—or T'Pol and that damned spray-painted uniform—or

It was at that moment that the shuttle door opened and Elizabeth Cutler climbed in.

Travis froze, staring at her. All he could see was her, Liz, a stunningly alluring woman; the way her body looked in the formfitting uniform; the way he could imagine, in fact could not stop from thinking about, the way she looked within it! The more he thought about her, the more he ached—literally—for her. It hurt to stand there, to look at her, to want her so badly!

But if he took a step toward her he was lost! He was terrified about what would happen; that he would not be able to stop himself! Something he couldn't control was driving him out of his mind! He knew that, but couldn't help it! He wanted to rip the clothes from her body, shredding everything to reach her! It didn't matter that she was a fellow crewmember, didn't matter that if she didn't want to and fought him he was going to...didn't matter that his career could be...

All he could think of was her, the sight of her, the feel of her body! He could reach out and just rip that damned uniform off her and...

He tried desperately to think of a reason—any reason—not to grab her and ravage her whether she participated or screamed!

* * *

Liz looked at her friend, and was afraid.

There was a subdued, carefully restrained and barely contained wildness in his eyes that sent a chill of terror through her, and at the same time that thrill made her realize she was also feeling a budding moistness that...The knowledge of what he was feeling was making her—or was she also succumbing to the...

"Travis..." She said carefully, realizing her own voice was trembling. She tried to keep her voice steady, but her own breath was starting to come hard. She felt a familiar, a very powerful; sensation in her breasts, and realized that she was not immune to the concentrated effects of the pheromones either. Or was it the knowledge of what was raging inside the man that was making her start to...

"We have to get out of here, Travis! We—we both have to get out of here! Y—you have to come outside! Now!"

He took a step toward her and she backed away, unable to endure the look deep in his eyes. She knew what was in those eyes, and knew all too well what it was doing to her! She didn't know if it was that pervasive scent or the knowledge of what was in the man's eyes, but her body was starting to...And if it were any other time...

"Travis Mayweather, I love you very much as a friend, but if you even try to touch me I'll kick your treasures through that bulkhead!"

* * *

Tia watched from about fifteen meters away as her friends came out of the shuttle, how they conversed quietly for a long time as she stood tensely. They stood well and carefully apart from each other, trying to enforce a distance, hands carefully kept from

" _WHAT_?!" Birds seemed to explode from every tree in sight!


	3. Epilogue

"Captain, I have the shuttle." Hoshi Sato reported from her station.

"On screen." The monitor changed from an image of the planet below to the interior of the shuttle.

"Shuttle One to Enterprise, ready to dock."

Whatever greeting Archer was about to give died on his lips at the unexpected sight that greeted them. Mayweather, Cutler and Anlor were all wearing EV spacesuits. None had reported any difficulties at all during the approach! "Is anything wrong, Travis?" The dark man smiled.

"No sir, not anymore. Permission to come aboard?"

Archer looked about at his assembled officers; none of them wanted to hazard a guess. "Permission granted."

Captain Archer was a patient man, but sometimes something happened that was just odd enough. "You have the conn, Trip. I'll be in the shuttle bay."

* * *

When he arrived, he was even more surprised to find the shuttle in place, but only one person awaiting him, busy stowing two used EV suits. The officer in question removed the visored helmet and turned, and he was again surprised to find it to be Ensign Cutler. "Where are Ensign Mayweather and Crewwoman Anlor?"

"Sir, each of them has gone to their respective quarters. If I may, sir, I request that both of them be relieved for the rest of the day. I'll tell you all the details, but please, let the...reason...remain confidential?"

Archer had had just about all the surprises he could stand.

* * *

Travis Mayweather walked briskly down the corridor, not heading for his quarters, even though he had named it as his destination. He stopped before another door and pressed the buzzer beside it. Again. And a third time, leaning into the button.

Jennifer Farber, wearing an off-duty blouse and skirt, opened the door, her irritation turning instantly to a bright smile as she saw who was so forcibly demanding entrance. "Hi, Trav! I * mm- MMMmmm! Mmm- mm-mmm!" She was surprised to be so forcibly silenced by his lips on hers, and to be pressed backward into the room as the door slid shut. "Mmm—mm—MMMmmmm!" She staggered backward in his arms as he pressed his body to hers, forcing her to back up, and she felt him starting to pull hard at the material at her chest as her legs collided with her bunk. "Mm—mmm—mmMMMMM—MMM!!" They both toppled over as she felt the material shred in his hand!

* * *

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Jennifer let out a long, contented sigh over an hour and a half later, feeling completely and thoroughly relaxed. Travis lay partially atop her, his hands and lips on her chocolate skin. "Ohhhhh, myyyyy GOD!"

"Jen, would you do something for me?" He asked, his warm breath tickling her nipple.

"Honey, after all that I would give you the galaxy!"

"Just please, never, ever use rose perfume!"

Jennifer looked down at her lover in monumental puzzlement.


End file.
